Aurora Fire Department Set To Get Bulletproof Vests After Firefighters Responded To Active Shooting Without Them

The purchase comes in the wake of the Feb. 15 mass shooting
at the Henry Pratt Co. building that claimed the lives of five workers, and
injured six police officers.

On that day, firefighters accompanied police officers into
the building to find and confront the shooter as part of special tactical
units. It was the first time the city had used the combined units. The idea is
that paramedics are on the scene to quickly help with injuries during an
incident.

As it happens, plans were already underway for purchase of
the vests, but those plans did not materialize in time for the Feb. 15
incident.

Aldermen at the Finance Committee level, which recommended
the purchase, pointed out that firefighters went into the building during the
active shooting, even though they did not have the vests.

Aldermen this week, acting as a Committee of the Whole,
agreed to spend $86,349 to buy the 60 bulletproof vests, as well as helmets,
accessories, goggles and medical supplies. The contract would cover buying from
Pro-Tech, Henry Schein Medical Supply and Galeton.

The full City Council still needs to take a final vote on
the purchase.

Despite hurrying up after the Feb. 15 incident, a fire
department spokesman said the city got five bids to buy the equipment.
Originally, officials planned to spend $70,000 on the purchase, but had upped
that in the budget to $110,000.

So the final price was about $30,000 under the budgeted amount, fire department officials said.